2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Saratoga Dave]

A little quiet around here today, though Luv2Ride’s pictures are great... isn’t it time for Stefan to post something like How I Climbed The Eiger North Wall On A Giant Trance? You know, a little drama for the fans!

 

[Mulezen]

I had a nice long ride in the heat yesterday morning. Early on a car coming from the opposite side of the road beeped and flashed his lights. I thought 'what's with that idiot?' then realized it was a city friend going to a local shooting range...hasty emotions another lesson to me. Soon I ran across these longears and wished I had a treat for them.

This place I often stop at to use their nice stone bench, the house out of sight this time of year. I noted last year a surplus of tomatoes rotting on the vine. I'm tempted to take a few and leave an envelope with a $5 bill and TY note

Here are a few pictures of my mailman's farm. He's retiring this week, and since he's always kidding me about when I'm going to get a car ( have one) I've pressed him to get an ebike. His wife keeps rescue Mustangs (even testified before Congress). James the mailman recently sold me some young heifers which he wants to buy back late in the year to become part of the breeding herd. He didn't have somewhere to secure them from big old Mr. Bull hence they are in my yard assailing the bird feeders right before the broken down hurricane that passed through last week.

In distant Holly Grove I saw a large group of cyclists congregating at a stop sign. I passed by with a wave.

later I met some of them resting at another stop sigh near James' farm. We talked a bit. Some had on jersey's ID'ing them as members of RABA, Richmond Area Bike Association. That meant to me they were serious roadies as my dentist was for years a member riding with a group of health professionals riding fast and known as 'The Spin Doctors'. Those I spoke with encouraged me to join them on the Tuesday run in my area. I asked how they felt about eBikes and one of them on a carbon bike admitted to having one at home. Though middle-aged they were doing 40 miles at an average speed of 17, beyond my ancient capabilities. I spoke about this and the ride's organizer told me "I see you regularly on these roads. And I believe you live near me. You can cutoff the ride anywhere you like." So maybe I can push myself and ride with them though I was also told about a group of Seniors that ride. Who knew cyclists could be so hospitable.

 

[Anna]

Westlake-Decker-Mulholland - Mark R's 48.2 mi bike ride

Mark R. rode 48.2 mi on Aug 12, 2020.

www.strava.com

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Familiar area. Good for you... not an easy stretch of riding and takes courage and bravery in several places. ️

 

[PatriciaK]

Had a nice almost 10-mile ride today along Padilla Bay, but my effing Giant Ride app didn't upload it, and then lost it. I hate that app!!! Even the older version that "usually" works with the bike!

Anyway, a bit cloudy, but otherwise good ride.

The first couple of miles were packed dirt/gravel along the top of a dike built long ago to keep the salt water of the bay off low-lying farm fields. The Dutch originally settled this area, and really knew what they were doing! This shot is facing South, the way we came from. Tide flats on the right, fields on the left:

When the dike rejoined the road, we rode the backstreets of tiny Bayview, WA to Bayview State Park:

The hills in the background are the San Juan Island, when we rode last week.

We continued along the road to the Breazeale Interpretive Center, which usually has several interesting exhibits relating to life in the bay and a small aquarium - closed because of Covid:

Rode the paved wheelchair-accessable trail past several groups of blackberry pickers (one more week and they'll be perfect!) to a tree trunk-accessable shelter

Where we turned around and retraced the route back to the car. It was nice to have a flat ride for a change!

 

[Sierratim]

I am in Seattle today meeting with an orthopedic oncologist to discuss the removal of a soft tissue sarcoma from my left quadriceps. Unfortunately they also will have to remove my vastus medialis, a muscle that makes up about 30% of the quad. I have been riding through chemotherapy and radiation during the past several months since March. I have been riding very hard lately, using Eco mode as much as I can, putting in lots of miles. thank goodness for ebikes. My surgeon says all this riding will help accelerate the healing and recovery process. My riding is about to come to a grinding halt with the surgery on the 24th.

It will require 4-6 weeks of healing time before I can even begin physical therapy so I likely will not be riding again until November sometime. Being off the bike will be the worst part. I am not sure how strong a rider I will be after this with such a large muscle being removed. When I do get started back riding, I am sure I will be using turbo and sport mode a lot more until I regain strength. Just how far back I will be able to come remains to be seen.

Lots of riding helped by recovery. I know it will help yours as well. I'll go for a ride on the 24th thinking about your rapid recovery. God bless.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Mountains and molehills …

Brisbane Valley Rail Trail
Near Coominya, Queensland​

Have I ever mentioned how rough my local rail trail is? (Yes.) What a relief it has been to take a break on the stretch of paved country road (left) that runs parallel to it beyond the Lockyer Creek trestle bridge. That was until my last trip when, riding along the road, I glanced across at the rail trail. It was transformed: perfect! (For a short distance, anyway.)

The conical hill straight ahead (northwest) is Mount Hallen, this ride's objective. The escarpment on the horizon in the Great Dividing Range – longer than the Himalayas but not quite as high.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Its not exactly a mecca for mtbs and I rode early so as not to give ...mostly, rather conservative walkers a heart attack and have them phoning the Queen for permission to set the wolves on me.

I love the English sense of humour!

Those bottles do not look dodgy at all.

A friend drank one at a gig, a thirty minute set of a band. Then I could see him swerving across the street That's 15% alcohol, man! Drinking from a sports' water-bottle is done fast! An no bouncer thinks it's anything else than an isotonic drink

 

[Deleted member 18083]

A green, weedy river …

Colleges Crossing, Ipswich​

After my previous photo – dry and dusty – I thought a change of palette might be welcome.

Somehow, a family of eight swamphens managed to get themselves into the photo.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Your photos are such beautiful, David...

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Now I had to really think about what route to take to avoid the floods and I thought I had come up with the perfect plan...maybe not then!

You decidedly need an e-MTB, Rab Of course, wet back as a bonus!
P.S. Er... Not. If you ride slowly.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Your photos are such beautiful, David.

Thanks, Stefan.

What news is there on your broken camera? Time for something new?

Those swamphens photobombed the shot before I realised they were there! I've just checked: the Oxford Dictionary of English recognises the word…

 

[Stefan Mikes]

What news is there on your broken camera? Time for something new?

Not with perhaps ten K-mount lens arsenal... I got the repair price and accepted the offer. AUD 850. It will be long waiting for the spare parts delivery...

 

[Deleted member 18083]

This is better!

Brisbane River​

I have no idea what this beige floating island was made of, but the swamphens did! They had flown upstream from beyond the furthest tree on the grassy right bank and, after I had taken ten minutes to ride up to this spot, they were happily (forgive the anthropomorphising of waterfowl) paddling in and walking atop the river. They're the specks in the centre of the photo.

Maybe, a 28 mm wide-angle lens isn't what is needed for shooting birds! May I borrow a monster telephoto lens from you, Stefan?

 

[RabH]

You decidedly need an e-MTB, Rab Of course, wet back as a bonus!
P.S. Er... Not. If you ride slowly.

I will stick with my road bike, its all I need!

Thankfully the floods were gone today so I was back on the lovely quiet back roads with little or no trafiic, cycling bliss! Normal service has resumed, lots of ups and downs, my bread and butter! I only need another 11 miles to complete 25,000 miles since I started using a GPS at the end of 2011, 477 rides completed with an average of just over 52 miles!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

monster telephoto lens

200 mm is not a lot on Full Frame. Longer focal length lenses are slow and/or heavy. I'm jealous when I see Brix taking photos with her 480 mm (equivalent) lens on her Lumix...

 

[Saratoga Dave]

Yikes, Dave, how far away is that mountain? Looks like a bit of a longish ride.

 

[Chargeride]

Lots of riding helped by recovery. I know it will help yours as well. I'll go for a ride on the 24th thinking about your rapid recovery. God bless.

Sorry to hear about that, just being nosy but I searched and its one of the four muscles that holds the knee in place, I guess its all about getting the rest to take its place.

I know this is a bit off the top of the head, but with a midrive you could imagine software that divides out the assist for each leg, maybe even some physio program linked to progress.
Anyway, you lot are the gadget dudes...I'll leave it to you.

 

[Mulezen]

Richard/Alaskan. Many years ago as a serious athletic competitor (Olympic lifting) I had a knee ‘procedure’ done. One of the things I did beyond PT was work the good leg on machines which has a bilateral carryover. Now there are many more machines to choose from though in the era of Covid this might not be feasible. What I have found in my new eBiking phase besides the cardio help which I’m sorely in need of...not you Richard as evidenced by your most recent mountain ride...the greatest benefit for me is the considerable psychological benefit. I hope you, Alaskan, can get some relief by continuing to contribute to these forums. I’ve spent ‘mucho dinero’ by following your advice...and I’m too old to start saving money now.

 

[Buckdubay]

Took a nice 25 mile ride today up and down many big hills. Hit a new high speed coming down a huge hill that was freshly paved. Nice and smooth

 

[Stefan Mikes]

down many big hills.

50 mph